Board ratifies 2026–27 teacher agreement and approves related salary schedules

The Webster Groves School Board voted to approve a ratified collective bargaining agreement between the Webster Groves National Education Association and the district covering July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. Superintendent Dr. Wiley Skinner told the board the union ratified the agreement on March 8 and administrators presented the contract language changes and the salary schedule to the board.

Jacob Myers, who summarized the financial impact, said the negotiated changes equate to roughly a 3.75% increase to the teacher salary line — about $960,000 in gross salary — and when retirement and payroll taxes are included the impact is about $1.1 million. "Total cost to the district is about 3.75% or $960,000 gross, salary only," Myers said, and noted an additional 14.5% for retirement and Medicare that raises the overall cost.

What changed: Administration described several nonfinancial language changes agreed at the table, including changing “restricted leave days” language to "priority attendance days" with clarified rules for illness and use of personal time; adding quarterly collaborative meetings between district and union teams and professional development for collaboration; and redefining some prep/start‑of‑year expectations from two contracted days to six contracted hours for certain pre‑school activities.

Board action and context: A board member moved to approve the agreement and the motion passed by voice vote. Board members emphasized that bargaining was the result of months of meetings and multiple executive sessions. The board then considered and approved several related salary schedules — nurses, support staff, curriculum coordinators and administrators — each presented by finance or HR staff and approved by voice vote; staff noted the administrator schedule increase will be roughly 3.48% (about $150,000).

Why it matters: The contract approval locks in the teacher salary schedule and clarifies operational language for next school year; staff emphasized the district’s long‑running budget deficit and the need to balance competitiveness with fiscal constraints. No details were presented in the meeting that would change already approved budget priorities; board members asked staff to continue monitoring cost impacts as part of budget planning.

Next steps: The contracts and salary schedules were approved at the meeting and will be implemented as of the stated effective dates; staff will incorporate the changes into payroll and ongoing budget forecasts.